Field
Aspects of the present invention generally relate to an image processing apparatus for reading an object such as a document to generate image data and processing the image data, a method for controlling the image processing apparatus, and a storage medium.
Description of the Related Art
An image processing apparatus configured to read a document placed on a document positioning plate (document placing platen) according to a user's instruction has been conventionally known. An image processing apparatus that can inquire of the user whether to read the next document each time reading a document set on a document positioning plate has also been known (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-142680). According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-142680, if the user gives an instruction to read the next document as a result of the inquiry, the image processing apparatus reads the next document. If the user gives an instruction to transmit image data that have been already read, the image processing apparatus performs processing for transmitting the image data that have been read so far.
In such a manner, according to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2012-142680, a series of operations for replacing the document set on the document positioning plate and reading the next document can be repeated to obtain image data of a plurality of pages by reading documents placed on the document positioning plate. The obtained image data can be transmitted by a single transmission process. This can reduce the labor of having to set the destination of image data again if the user wants to read a plurality of documents on the document positioning plate.
An image processing apparatus that can continuously read documents fed from a document feeding unit (hereinafter, referred to as an auto document feeder (ADF)) has been conventionally known. An image processing apparatus that can inquire of a user whether to read the next document stack after reading an entire document stack set on an ADF has also been known.
Some users may execute a job without knowing that an inquiry screen “whether to read the next document” will be displayed when reading a document. Some users may have forgotten about the display. In such cases, a user who has pressed a start button to start reading a document can mistakenly think that all the operations are completed, and leave from the image processing apparatus. As a result, the job under execution is left with the screen “whether to read the next document” displayed, and thus the transmission of image data intended by the user is not performed.
Further, when another user attempts to use the image processing apparatus, the inquiry screen “whether to read the next document” is left displayed. In such a case, the user who wants to use the image processing apparatus to execute a new job needs to issue some instruction to terminate the job left by the previous user. For example, the user who wants to use the image processing apparatus needs to cancel the reading of the image data or wait until the previous user notices the user's mistake and performs a required operation. Such an image processing apparatus is hard to use.
To address such an issue, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-223339 discusses starting transmission of read image data (transmission due to a timeout) if a user is inquired of whether to read the next document and the user's instructions are not input within a predetermined time.
According to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 8-223339, the read image data is transmitted if the user is inquired of whether to read the next document and a predetermined time has elapsed.
An image processing apparatus including a confirmation function used for confirmation by a user has conventionally been known. Among known confirmation functions used for confirmation by the user are a preview function for displaying on a display unit image data generated by reading a document and a destination confirmation function for confirming a transmission destination of image data.
If the image processing apparatus including the confirmation function inquires of the user whether to read the next document and performs transmission due to a timeout, e.g., t performs transmission due to a timeout on the screen “whether to read the next document”, the image data is transmitted without being confirmed by the user even though the confirmation function is set for the job.
Consequently, even if the user intends to cancel the transmission according to the result of confirmation by the confirmation function, the image data is transmitted against the intention of the user.